Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Forum on Van Dwellers

[VanLifeCrisis]

I will say since I had the cargo van, I get a lot more looks.&nbsp; The woman i work with has a scanner and the very first week i started driving it, they ran my plates twice in just a couple days (but never stopped me, and i was violating no laws).&nbsp;&nbsp; I have had a cop tail me from work to home 3 times, and from home to work once.&nbsp; Ive not been driving the van more than a month or something <img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" class="bbc_img">&nbsp; <br><br>I often wonder if I had a commercially made RV would it get the same scrutiny?

 

[James AKA Lynx]

Most LEO's will tell you if you are polite and respectful to them, they will be to you. When someone is NOT respectful to them, a lot of the time that person is a bad guy. Just ask them to check your Drivers license real good and most of the time they will let you go.&nbsp; <br><br>James AKA Lynx

 

[ParadiseParrot]

Let you go? for what....Living? I need there permission to live?

 

[Noah]

&nbsp;I am as honest as possible but very defensive of my constitutional rights when talking to a police officer. If I stay in one place for a while, I make sure to know exactly which ordinances I'm breaking and every detail and consequence involved.<BR><BR>The first thing the officer asks is: "What are you doing?"&nbsp; -This is where you admit guilt by telling them you were sleeping so you could say you were just playing a heated game of scrabble with your canine companion. Or, take my approach: "Well I was sleeping until you got here."<BR><BR>&nbsp; Then comes the "You can't be sleeping here.&nbsp; Folsom has a 'No Camping' ordinance."&nbsp; I then will check the clock and make sure I am actually breaking that rule by sleeping within certain hours of night. (I work real early so I'm often awoken from an afternoon nap)<BR><BR>&nbsp; If I am indeed in violation of the law, I will let the officer know that I am aware of the ordinance, and I attempted to get a permit or exemption from the law at City Hall but they said there wasn't one available.&nbsp; I also explain that I am not bothering anyone that I am aware of, but if the owner of this particular property wants me gone, I'd be happy to be on my way.<BR><BR>&nbsp; 9 times out of 10, no one complained, the cop was just doing their rounds.&nbsp; So 9 times out of 10, they explain that I can't continue to do this, that the next cop can write me a citation, blah, blah, blah.<BR><BR>&nbsp; 1 time out of 10, The cop gets aggresive and raises his voice.&nbsp; I always remain calm and tell him that he would be justified in writing me a citation, after all, it's still way cheaper than RENT! <img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><BR><BR>&nbsp; I've been talked to over 25 times. (lost count) Never gotten a single citation and only asked to move about 5 times.&nbsp; If I ever did get a citation I would take it to court and argue that it is a violation of my inalienable right to Liberty. Ask the founding fathers if you don't believe me. haha<BR><BR>&nbsp; I think there is a reason the laws were put there.&nbsp; People who pay ridiculous property taxes and think rv's in the walmart parking lot are eye sores whined.&nbsp;&nbsp;

 

[Noah]

I'd be interested to hear if any of you or people you know of have ever actually received a citation or any type of punishment other than harrassment and being asked to leave.<BR><BR>The law where I am currently allows for 6 months of jail time if it's your 3rd offense.&nbsp; But I'm guessing no one has ever gotten a ticket... I know I haven't.<BR><BR>

 

[caseyc]

Noah,<br><br>That's unreal!&nbsp; What city are you so I know to never visit there, haha!&nbsp; ;-)<br><br>Casey

 

[Noah]

Most of this occured in Folsom, California.&nbsp; You know... where Johnny&nbsp; Cash played at the prison.<BR><BR>I came here for a job, and stayed because it's gorgeous and the crime rate is very low. Partly thanks to all of the cops?<BR><BR>But I am growing tired of the crazy regulations and extremely high taxes, so I'll be moving on when they find a replacment at work.

 

[rabiesandpeewee]

Noah,&nbsp;<br>Hm...the crime rate is low. I have gotten hassled where crime rates are low (and suburban nitwits are paranoid), and although I haven't been stealthing for long, I think that the trick is to go where crime rates are higher, and I guess be prepared to defend against a breakin! Personally, I'd rather deal with the criminals than overzealous LEOs. It would be nice to find a happy medium, where neither are an issue <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

 

[caseyc]

Noah, <br><br>I don't think I've ever passed by Folsom, CA.&nbsp; I don't even know anyone that lives there.&nbsp; The nearest town I've visited is Sacramento, CA, and that's only to grab a quick breakfast at a local Denny's before heading up to Lake Tahoe for skiing, haha!&nbsp; Also, the heat in Sacramento is unbearably hot in the summer, and I can't take that type of 100 degree weather.<br><br>My personal opinion is that police officers from small towns have a higher chance of giving people a hassle in motor vehicles versus large towns.&nbsp; Why? Answer is simple economics.&nbsp; Small towns need the revenue stream from driving violation ticketing.&nbsp; After all, when was the last time you saw a police officer give out tickets to a pedestrian for jay-walking??&nbsp; That's why anytime I drive through small towns, I'm always extra careful of my driving because I assume there are police officers eating&nbsp;Krispy-Creme&nbsp;donuts in their cruisers while hiding in the bushes with their radar guns just waiting for someone to make the slightest infraction.<br><br>Casey<br><br>

 

[MK7]

Most people here don't realize that it's mostly the residents who don't want you parking and sleeping in their neighborhoods or businesses that feels the same way. It's the citizens who calls the cops to come and enforce the laws that they themselves, pushed their politicians to pass, forbidding such vandwelling. If it was legal, people would set up shop all over the place like in some touristy areas of California, Florida, etc., and becoming nuisances, lowering property value, etc.

 

[ParadiseParrot]

I live in Florida and have not seen anybody setting up shop other than a few Walmarts where it is legal.<br>Florida is RV central. THere are RV's in every yard. Cheap fulltime parks are available.<br>Ocala National Forest has some van people living in it. 14 day camp rule.<br>Cheap state parks 14 rule all over.Anyone who works at night could live on the beach.<br>Sunset or 11 pm overnite parking rules only. There are some longer term allowed to deal with tourists.<br><br>Dont know about Califorinia but Florida has a HUGE full time mobile living population. They are an industry.<br>There is no reason to park in a residential neighborhood.<br><br>If you break the rules the cops will be on you like flies on shite.<br> More cops per square foot here than anywhere I have ever lived.<br>And they are cracker cops in every town who are ill trained and dangerous.<br>But like anywhere there is good and bad but for the mobile liver it has more positives than not I think.<br><br>As for lowering property value I think the Florida native with their toothless meth mouths with yards full of junk cars<br>have the lower property value thing down pretty well.<br><br>The Powers where after full time boat livers here for a while cuz a boat in front of mansions really piss off the<br>People with ill gotten gains big time but they lost in Supreme Court so its back to kicking nuns for the cops here.<br>&nbsp;

 

[MK7]

I guess that in the lower income areas with the meth-heads and junk on the front lawn being the norm, RV living is not a problem. But there's a user on here, Blkjack, and he says that he must be very stealthy where he's situated in Florida, as it's illegal. Not sure where he is, but I think it's in the Key West area. <br><br><br><br>

 

[ParadiseParrot]

Key west is a crowded tourist town and the real estate is sky high.<br>Affordable living situations for hospitality workers is an big issue.<br>That won't be going away. I met some one guy there that was hotswapping beds<br>as in sharing them with someone who works nights. You would have to hang there for a week or two to understand. Old Town is unique<br><br>Also every parking space on the street is owned by someone...guest house/hotel or private resident.<br>There is just very little parking.Where he is parking is probably way more concern to the popo than living in his van.<br>There are certain days in KW that peeps are walking around naked. The party scene is huge and its all tourist dollars.<br>The popo there are there to protect the dollars and keep the streets moving. I saw no hassling going on.<br>And the Chronic smell didn't seem to bother them either. Street Performers are all over....(legal cheap permit)<br>Ads to the flavor of the place. <br>Anyway they usually need people down there to run all the shops bars etc and resorts pretty much 21 hours a day.<br>4 AM to 7AM are quieter.But the pay doesn't match the cost of housing so people come up with other situations.<br>4 to 6 per small apartment etc.

 

[wagoneer]

some 20 years ago on a dirt road on a Navajo reservation off the path as it were doing some 8 x 10 nudes against rocks/landscapes the reservation police barged in and were totally blown away by this scene. They explained the sacred land issue of which I understood I walked them back to my van loaded with flea market stuff ( while she got dressed) and they asked me if they could look at what was in my van. Besides a bed and cooktop it was all flea market stuff and explained it was all for sale well long story short I wound up selling them some stuff and the other guy invited us to dinner . It is case by case . people are people and a good attitude is paramount....

 

[Van Tripper]

'tude begets 'tude.